Astronomy Fundamentals

Modern Physics Discoveries

Why is the Higgs boson sometimes called “the God particle”?

A book published in 1993 that described the science behind the Higgs boson was titled The God Particle. According to the book’s author, Leon M. Lederman, he actually wanted to use a curse word and call it “The God-d**n Particle” because the Higgs Boson has been such a challenging and tantalizing particle to find; it is said, however, that the publisher of the book would not allow it. The name, however, has stuck in the popular press. Most scientists dislike referring to the Higgs boson as “the God particle” because the term suggests that its existence somehow links science with religion, which it does not.